Discussion: [VG] Langage enfantin / Baby talk

[Tresley]

Hello,

I've been compiling a list of French baby talk.

Can anyone add anything to this list?

Is everything in this list correctly spelt and translated?

Thank you.


Au dodo! = Time for bed! Off to bed!
Avoir bobo = Have sthg that hurts. “T’as bobo à la menotte?” = Does your hand hurt?
Bichounet = [term of endearment for little boys] Little man, my little soldier
Bichounette = [term of endearment for little girls] Sweetie, sweetheart, sugar plum
Le bobo = a sore, a bruise, a scratch, a cut
Le caca = poo, doo-doo, number two
Le chat-chat = pussy cat, kitty cat, pussy, kitty, moggie
Le chien-chien = doggy
Choupinet = [term of endearment for little boys] Little man, my little soldier
Choupinette = [term of endearment for little girls] Sweetie, sweetheart, sugar plum
Coucou! = Coo-ee! Peep-bo! Peek-a-boo! [Said to babies]
Le cricri = cricket (insect)
Le dada = horsey
Le doudou (les doudous) = confort blanket, blan-blan, blankie [helps child to sleep]
Les doudouces = caresses, soothing strokes
Faire caca = to do a poo, to do a doo-doo, to do/have a number two
Faire dodo = To sleep, to go to beddy-byes/beddie-byes
Faire joujou = to play
Faire panpan = to smack
Faire pipi = to wee-wee, to pee-pee, to do/have a number one
Faire sisite = to sit down
La fifille = little girl
Gazou gazou = Coo-ee! [Literally - Chirp Chirp! Said to babies]
La grosse commission = poo, doo-doo, number two
Le joujou (les joujoux) = toy
Le lolo = milk
Le loulou (les loulous) = snot, bogies
La maman = mum, mummy
La mémé = Grandma, Granny, Nana
La menotte = hand
Le minou (les minous) = pussy cat, kitty cat, pussy, kitty, moggie
La moumouche = little fly
La moumousse = foam, bathtime bubbles
Le nounours = teddy bear
Le ouah-ouah = bow-wow, doggy
Le panpan = smack, clout
Le papa = dad, daddy
La papatte = leg, hand also????
Le pépé = Granddad, Grandad
Le pépète / la pépétte = botty/bottie, bottom, backside
Le pipi = wee-wee, pee-pee, number one
La poupoule = chicken
Le prout = fart, trump, bottie-pop
Les quenottes (f) = toothie-pegs
La tata = auntie, aunt
La tatie = auntie, aunt
Le tonton = uncle
Les totos = head lice, nits
La totoche = dummy, soother, pacifier
La totosse = dummy, soother, pacifier
Le toutou (les toutous) = doggy, pooch
La tutute = dummy, soother, pacifier
Le venventre = tummy, belly
Le zizi = willy (male genital organ)

 

[Joelline]

I've heard French children refer to an automobile as "la toto tuture" and, in addition to Le pépé, I've heard grandfather referred to as "le pappy" (or perhaps it's spelled pappi?).

Thanks to zaby for the correction on baby-talk for voiture (see below)!

 

[zaby]

It's is spelled papy. There is also mamy for grandmother.

In my opinion papy/mamy are more common than pépé/mémé

About a car, I've never heard "toto", but there is (la) tuture.

 

[KittyCatty]

Hello,
gazou-gazou reminds me of coochie-coochie-coo!! which is often said to a baby in a silly voice, tickling it under the chin, the cot surrounded by relatives!!

 

[adele6]

What about "guilli guilli" [sp?] ?
-for tickling a baby - also said as kitchy-kitchy-koo

 

[Nat-Paris France]

a lot of children's words are diminutive :
- auto : toto ; voiture : tuture ; jouet : joujou ; dormir : faire dodo ;
- la papatte comes from la patte which is the leg and foot of an animal (except horses)
- doudou : something gentle-sweet-soft, etc sometimes plush but often a simple tissue (have replacing the bear : ours, nounours)
- lolo means also boob in slang to.
- zézette : female genitan organ
- carefull about pépète : for girls only, and means also money in lingo-cant-argot- slang , how should I say ? generally plural : les pépètes,( le fric, l'argent)
- papy, mamie in my family were my grandparents and pépé, mémé were my greatuncle and aunt, but I know this is not a rule and maybe it depends on the area ...

this list is very interesting to me either ! thank you.

 

[Cath.S.]

La menotte = hand

Also
La menotte = hand
Le pimpin = bunny, rabbit

 

[Girl Of Ipanema]

Faire un prout = to fart
Dodo-mimine-papattes-en rond = to go to sleep (visualize a kitty)
Faire dada = baby / little children leaping on your lap